Dramatic CCTV footage shows the moment Mohammed Fremoule ripped a £28,000 Rolex from the wrist of an injured man outside Liverpool Street station in central London. The victim, who had a broken ankle, was hugged a female companion with his back turned to Fremoule, 29, when the thief tore the luxury watch from his wrist and fled.
Stalking and Theft
The footage reveals Fremoule stalking the vulnerable victim for some time, lurking outside the station gates. As the victim looked down at his phone, Fremoule struck, snatching the watch and running off. The victim quickly spun around, but Fremoule had already escaped.
City of London Police arrested Fremoule on March 29, and he was found in possession of a stolen mobile phone. The watch, which was uninsured, has never been recovered.
Sentence and Investigation
Fremoule pleaded guilty to robbery and handling stolen goods and was sentenced to two years and eight months imprisonment at Inner London Crown Court. Detective Constable Marcus Fairclough, from the City of London Police, said: “This was a callous and opportunistic robbery, carried out against a vulnerable victim who was already suffering from a broken ankle. The offender targeted him, stalked him outside Liverpool Street Station and then violently ripped a watch worth approximately £28,000 from his wrist, before making off.”
Fairclough added: “Due to our extensive CCTV network, we were able to capture the incident and trace the suspect’s movements. Working closely with colleagues from the Metropolitan Police Service and the British Transport Police, we were able to build the evidence needed to bring him before the courts.”
Broader Context
In January, a Standard investigation revealed more than £22 million of luxury watches, handbags and jewellery have been stolen by thieves across London in the past two years. According to latest Metropolitan Police data obtained via a Freedom of Information request, 3,428 watches valued above £3,000 were stolen between January 1, 2023 and November 30 last year.
